36: Chapter 36 The Zhao Family of Thousand Thorn Plains

By the time he hurried back to the small courtyard, Jiang Rou had already prepared their bags.

Inside were freshly baked, thick flatbreads that could last for several days, along with carefully wrapped cooked meat, all stored in a Storage Pouch—enough for the two of them for several dozen days!

Seeing him return, Jiang Rou immediately brought out a brand-new cloak with soft fur sewn onto the collar.

By the looks of it, it was actually a Low Grade First-Tier Magical Artifact!

"I originally intended to give this to you during the New Year..."

Jiang Rou's voice was tight with worry.

"Now, I'm afraid we can't wait. Your Big Brother has spent all year hunting outside and has thick skin and flesh!"

"You are different; your constitution has always been a bit frail, and studying and crafting talismans is mentally draining."

"The journey to the Thousand Thorn Plain is long, and the cold in the wilderness is bone-chilling. With this cloak, you can at least ward off some of the cold. Don't let yourself freeze."

A warm current surged through Chen Qingyuan's heart.

With his Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivation, he naturally didn't fear ordinary cold by circulating his spiritual power, but the environment in the wilderness was harsh.

Especially at night, when temperatures plummeted, his spiritual power needed to be reserved for emergencies; it couldn't always be used to ward off the cold.

Having this item would indeed save a lot of trouble and be much safer.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law! You've gone to a lot of trouble."

Immediately, he took a thick stack of spirit talismans from his bosom, all of which were his own stock.

There were about thirty Light Body Talismans and thirty Rejuvenation Talismans, which he shoved into Jiang Rou's hands.

"Sister-in-law, I have no spare Spirit Stones on hand. Keep these talismans safe."

"If the Family encounters an emergency or needs Spirit Stones for turnover, you can use them as payment, or simply stay at the Juxian Tower for a while!"

"I've already sent a letter to Big Brother Dong asking him to help look after the house. If you need anything, you can go find him."

Chen Qingshan, who had been sitting moping on the side, breathing heavily due to anger and anxiety, heard these arrangements and looked at Jiang Rou, unable to hide a look of shame.

He let out a long, heavy sigh. "Xiao Yuan... you're still the one who thinks things through!"

Without delay, the two brothers tidied up and, taking advantage of the night, braved the wind and snow to quietly leave Shazhou Workshop.

As soon as they stepped into the vast Lifeng Plain, the bone-chilling cold invaded like countless fine ice needles, seeping into every pore.

"Xiao Yuan, keep up!"

Chen Qingshan gave a low shout, activated a Light Body Talisman without hesitation, and with a leap, shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Seeing this, Chen Qingyuan immediately applied a Light Body Talisman and followed closely by his side.

The two traveled day and night, only stopping when extremely exhausted to find a sheltered spot to barely meditate and regulate their breathing for an hour or two.

They would eat a bit of the dry rations Jiang Rou had prepared before setting off again.

Fortunately, with the cloak, Chen Qingyuan was able to grit his teeth and persevere the whole way.

After eight days of relentless, arduous trekking, the two brothers had almost crossed nearly half of the Lifeng Plain, finally stepping, dusty and travel-worn, into the territory of the Thousand Thorn Plain that bordered it.

A vast, desolate canyon finally appeared on the horizon.

On both sides of the canyon were jagged, steep, dark red cliffs, acting as a natural barrier that resisted most of the wind and sand erosion.

Under its protection, the canyon floor was relatively flat, where one could faintly see a large number of low-lying stone houses, or rather, Immortal Caves, built against the cliffs.

A murky underground river appeared here, winding through the canyon.

This was Yellow Sand Bay, located on the edge of the Thousand Thorn Plain, a gathering place for all sorts of people, and where the Zhao Family resided.

There was a High Grade First-Tier Spiritual Vein here, but it was not owned exclusively by any one Family.

Instead, it was jointly occupied and contested by over a dozen small Families, including the Zhao Family, as well as a large number of Loose Cultivators.

It was like a big hodgepodge!

The Zhao Family was just an average one among them, with its strongest member being the head of the Family, Zhao Yong, who was at Qi Refining Level Six.

Chen Qingshan wiped the wind and snow from his face, a flash of ferocity and impatience in his eyes.

"Let's go! Xiao Yuan, we're going in! I want to see what kind of monsters and demons that Zhao Family are, daring to treat my sister so poorly!"

Chen Qingyuan took a deep breath, suppressed the fatigue in his body, and nodded heavily.

Meanwhile.

Near the east side of Yellow Sand Bay, there was a small courtyard built of bluestone, equipped with a 'Dust-Isolating Array'.

While it was far from magnificent, in this chaotic and barren Yellow Sand Bay, it could be considered a rare, orderly, and decent place—this was where the Zhao Family lived.

At this moment, the head of the Zhao Family, Zhao Yong, and his eldest son, Zhao Hao—who was Chen Qingtang's husband and had a cultivation of the fourth level of Qi Refining—

as well as his second son, Zhao Ming, who had a cultivation of the third level of Qi Refining, were sitting in the main hall, enjoying some peace while drinking a pot of coarse tea.

But!

The sound of sobbing faintly coming from the utility room on the west side instantly shattered this peace.

An expression of extreme impatience instantly appeared on Zhao Hao's face as he slammed his teacup onto the table, splashing tea everywhere.

"Listen, listen! It's starting again! Crying, crying, crying! All she knows how to do is cry all day! It's absolutely depressing!"

He then deliberately raised his voice, ensuring it could be heard in the utility room on the west side.

"That 'Pulse-Warming Pill' costs four Spirit Stones each! If we had that spare money, it would be better to save it for the Family to purchase a decent Magical Artifact."

"A money-losing asset, and with only a four-element Spiritual Root at that, why waste those Spirit Stones?"

The sobbing became suppressed, but the sense of grief and indignation grew heavier.

And the Family head, Zhao Yong, upon hearing Zhao Hao's words, didn't even lift his eyelids. He took a slow sip of inferior tea, his voice cold.

"On this wasteland, whose life isn't difficult? Two pills would be eight Spirit Stones! If she wants to blame someone, she should blame her own bad luck!"

The younger brother-in-law, Zhao Ming, let out a sneer, a lewd smile on his face as he added fuel to the fire.

"Exactly! Brother, how are things going with that girl from the Wu Family? Why don't you... just divorce Chen Qingtang and marry someone else instead!"

"You could get another dowry; wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing this, a flash of interest crossed Zhao Hao's eyes. He leaned closer to Zhao Yong and lowered his voice.

"Father... are they really willing to buy..." As he spoke, he looked vigilantly toward the utility room on the west side.

He lowered his voice even further.

"A corpse of a spiritual seedling that just had its Spiritual Root tested? They're offering such a high price?"

Zhao Yong's previously indifferent eyes immediately lifted.

A ruthless glint spread in his eyes.

He reached out and made a shushing gesture in front of his mouth.

"Creak—"

The dilapidated wooden door of the main hall was gently pushed open a crack, and a gust of cold wind instantly poured in.

A young girl, looking only seventeen or eighteen years old and wearing thin clothing, timidly poked half her body inside, holding a small dish of food, seemingly wanting to serve it.

This tiny movement, however, instantly enraged Zhao Yong!

His expression instantly became incredibly ugly. Without a word, he grabbed the half-full teapot on the table and smashed it fiercely at the girl!

"Bang!"

"Clang!" The dish hit the floor, making a crisp sound.

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream rang out at the same time! The girl had no time to dodge; the teapot hit her squarely on the forehead, and blood immediately gushed out.

She fell to the ground, clutching her forehead, curling up in pain, and letting out suppressed whimpers.

Several other similarly thin figures had just poked their heads out, but immediately shrank back! They shivered in the midst of the girl's screams!

Zhao Yong didn't even look, cursing as if he were shooing away flies!

"You dog-like thing! I've married you for so long, and you still don't understand the rules! Don't you know to knock before entering? You've ruined my mood to talk, get out!"